There was nothing on the eve of July 10, 2006 that could have prepared the Higdon family for what was to come the next day. Patrick and Margaret Higdon, along with their twin boys, James and Patrick, and daughter Megan, Margaret’s siblings and her parents, were holidaying at a vacation rental at Cedar Grove Resort about 200 miles north of Milwaukee. They had gone to bed after the usual vacation day - lazing around, eating at the restaurant nearby and playing cards.

At 2 in the morning, the family was roused by the sound of explosions. Within no time, the rental was on fire. Margaret’s parents and the three kids managed to escape, but Patrick and Margaret remained trapped. 12-year-old Megan watched as the building that had her parents inside burned faster and faster. All the time, she could hear her mother’s voice from inside the cabin, calling for help.

Help came too late for Patrick and Margaret. They didn’t make it through the fire. The kids were not spared injuries either. Megan suffered a shattered spleen and burns to her chest and lips. Patrick, then 14, suffered facial fractures. There were also first and second degree burns on his body. He has a loss of sensation in his cheek, and is not able to open his mouth fully. James was the hero of the hour. He raced back into the burning building to pull his grandfather out of the inferno. Although he suffered fewer physical injuries, psychologists have affirmed that he is the one in the most danger of having psychological problems from this tragedy.

After the fire, it was found that an electrical contractor company installing electrical line, Arby Construction Company, had ruptured a propane gas line that ran under the ground. When the family filed a lawsuit, they mentioned Cedar Grove Resort, Arby Construction Company, some construction companies and their insurance companies.

Now, court documents reveal that the settlement awarded to the children has been fixed at $21 million. These will take into account hospitalization expenses and lawyer’s fees, and will be used to set up trust funds for each of the three children. Currently Megan, Patrick and James live with their grandparents.

These are children who have been left permanently scarred by the events of that horrible night. To have a vacation turn into an inferno in a matter of minutes, and to have to watch helplessly as your parents perish, must have been painful beyond description. The children have a struggle ahead of them without their parents in their lives, and deserve the compensation they will now receive.

If you have been injured in an explosion, you need the help of an experienced California personal injury lawyer. Contact an attorney at The Reeves Law Group for a free consultation.